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Opportunities

By turning ad watching into a game, and by moving the ads to a positive, opt-in environment, this new service may attract viewers, much like some of the funnier TV commercials that enjoy a world-wide audience when they get forwarded in MPEG format by the millions. Springwise obviously does not expect Ad Channel to turn the world of advertising on its head, but it is worth tracking HomeChoice’s first results. Stay tuned.

A British video-on-demand service dedicates a channel to ads, making the rest of its programming commercial-free

Understandably, many TV viewers have made an art-form out of avoiding commercials, and TiVo recording devices in the US make it easy to skip commercials all together. British video-on-demand service HomeChoice has come up with an interesting approach: its programs aren’t interrupted by commercials (source: Brand Republic). Instead, commercials are shown on a dedicated Ad Channel. This way, HomeChoice hopes to capture the attention of those viewers who may not have an aversion to commercials per se (let’s face it, they sometimes can be quite funny) but hate the intrusion of ads during something more substantial. In their own words: “Can a great ad be as funny as a good TV comedy? Currently on HomeChoice, we’re showcasing some of the funniest ads that we’ve seen in the last 12 months, from both the UK and around the world. Turn to the HomeChoice service, click on the ad you want to see, watch it, then vote and tell us whether you think it’s a keeper or a stinker. Come back and see how your favourite ad did, and watch it climb up the Ad Chart.”

Opportunities

By turning ad watching into a game, and by moving the ads to a positive, opt-in environment, this new service may attract viewers, much like some of the funnier TV commercials that enjoy a world-wide audience when they get forwarded in MPEG format by the millions. Springwise obviously does not expect Ad Channel to turn the world of advertising on its head, but it is worth tracking HomeChoice’s first results. Stay tuned.